Reclining article of furniture



June '7, 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,939,515

RECLINING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1956 .A mm m mm N aw m W w A m .2 WVG 4 2 1 L h 4 G F June 7, 1960 Filed Obt. 24, 1956 F. F. SCH LIEPHACKE RECLINING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRIDTJOF E SCHLIEPHACKE ATTORNEY'S June 7, 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,939,515

RECLINING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Oct. 24, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

F RIDTJOF F. SCHLIEPHACKE.

BY M

ATTORNEY'S k p 2,939,515 a RECLINING ARTICLE or FURNITURE Fi'idtjof F.,Schliephacke, Berlin-Schmargendorf, .Ger- .many, assignor to Anton Lorenz, Greenwich, Conn.

- Filed a. 24, 1956, Ser. No. 618,002

' v 3 Claims. (Cl. 155106) This invention relates to articles of furniture or seating units-adjustable from aregular sitting position to a more or less reclining position. In particular it relates to such articles provided with a leg rest which is retracted when the seating element are in a position to support the body in 'aln'upright'sitting posture and which is advanced and raisedgso as to support the legs when the seating elements are moved to a reclining position.

The seating elements comprise a seat portion and a back rest portion both of which are movably mounted upon a stationary base or leg structure resting on the floor. The present invention is .characterized by the fact that the back rest is pivoted to the base to swing about an axis located near the lower end of the back rest while the seat is pivoted at its rear to the back rest for upward swinging movement about an axis located above the pivotal axis of the back rest. Suitable links are provided for supporting the forward part of the seat and causing it to be raised to proper angle when the back rest is tilted back. The leg rest is supported and actuated by suit:

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the chair shown in Figure 1 in an upright position, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing another form of the invention; a

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the chair shown in Figure 3, in reclining position; V

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing another form of the invention, parts being broken away;

Figulre 6 is a side elevation of the chair shown in Figure 5, in reclining position;

Figures 7 and 8 are side elevations of another form of the invention, parts being broken away, showing the chair in'upright and reclining positions, respectively; and

Figures 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 7 and 8 showing another modification of the invention.

2,939,515 Patented June 7, 1960 supported by seat control links 38 which are pivoted at points 39 to the seat and at points 40 to guide levers or members 42 which are pivoted at points 44 to the frame members 24 of the base. When the back rest is tilted to a more or less reclining position the links 38 will tilt the seat so that] its forward edge is raised to a position which will be comfortable to the occupant. The guide:

levers or :members 42in addition to pivot points 40 and 44 already, describedhave pivot points 46 and 48. Pull linksStl {are-connected tothe members 42 at the pivot ,points' 46 and to the back rest, these being shown in the present instance as pivoted to the back rest at'the same points 36 at which the seat is pivoted. Coincidence of the pivotal points of the links and seat to the back rest is not however essential. The links 50 serve to swing the member.42 in a clockwise direction about its axis on the chair base thereby thrusting up the seat control 38 and tilting the seat. The seat also moves back a little way with the back rest. The guide members or levers 42 also perform a function in projecting the leg rest.

The leg rest 52 is mounted on a pair of links 54 pivoted at 56 to the underside of the leg rest at points for- 7 angle to the longer arms of the levers.

ofthe pivots 68 and the length of the lever arms 70 is preferably such that the arms .will not project forwardly Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the chair shown comprises a frame 20 having legs 22 connected to side frame members 24; Arms 26 are also shown. The frame shown in conventional and obviously may be of any desired form depending upon the style of the chair and use to which it is to be put. The chair is provided with a back rest 28 which is pivoted at 30 to the frame 20. The pivotal axis of the pivots 30 is preferably located as near as convcnient to the bottom of the back rest. The seat 32 has rearwardly extending projections 34 which are pivoted to the sides of the back rest at points 36, the axisof these pivot points being at a substantial distance above wardly of the rear edge of the leg rest and on pairs of links 58, 60 which are pivoted to each other at points 62, the outer ends of the links 58 being pivoted at 64 to the underside of the leg rest nearer to the rear edge thereof than the pivotal points56. Leg r'estactuating links or levers 66 are pivoted to the seat near the front thereof at points 68., In the particular examples of the invention illustrated these levers have short arms 70 bent at an The positions of the front surface 'of the seat or above the seating surface at any point in their range of movement. The long arms of the links or levers 66 are pivoted to the links 58 at points 72 where they cross the same and the ends of these lever arms are pivoted at 74 to the ends of links 54.' Control links 76 are pivoted to the points 48 on the guide members or levers 42 and are pivoted at their other ends at points 78 to the links 66 at points removed from the pivotal points 68 thereof, said points 78 being in the comprises the links 58 and 60 pivoted to each other at 62. The leg rest is mounted on the endsof links 54 and 58. Only links of the first setnamely links 66-are pivoted directly to the seat. The second links 60 of the. second set of links instead of being pivoted directly to the seat, as is the practice in certain prior constructions, are pivoted to the control links '76 which transfer lifting force from the seat and back rest organization to the lazy tongs construction through the links 66. This gives a decidedly different operating movement to the leg rest than that which occurs when the leg rest lazy tongs link-' age includes two seat; i a

With the construction described it will be seen that when the back rest and seat of the chair are in upright position, .as shown in Figure 2, the leg rest will be drawn back and lowered to a retracted position under the front edge of the chair seat. When, however, the occupant'of forwardly of the front edge, of the seat, as shown in Figure 1. i

" In the form 'of the invention shown in Figures 3 and sets of links connected directly to they 4 the frame 20, back rest 28 and seat 32 are similar to those illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In this form of the invention the guide members or levers 42a are shown in the form of triangular plates rather than as cruciform members as in the form of the invention shown in Fig} ures 1 and 2. The particular shape of the guide members however is not important. In this form of the invention moreover the pull links 50a arenot connected to the back rest at the points 36 where the seat is pivoted to the back rest but are pivoted at points 36a intermediate the pivot points 30 and 36. The pull links 50a are pivoted to the guide members 42a at points 46a which are below the points 4411 where the members 42a are pivoted to the frame, so that when the back rest is inclined the guide members 42a are rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Leg rest 52 and the linkagefor actuating the same is substantially identical with that shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the links 76a are bent at a slightly different angle than the links 76 previously described, and pivot points 48a at which the links are pivoted to the guide members are above the pivot points 4 a.

Figures 5 and 6 show a form of the invention in which the frame 20, back rest 28 and seat 32 are the same as described above. In this construction, however, the seat control links 38b are longer than the seat control links 38 previously described, and are pivoted to the chair seat at points 39b which are further from the axis of the pivots 36, at which the seat is pivoted to the back rest, than are the pivot points 39 .in the construction previously described. With this linkage it i possible to pivot the lower ends of the seat control links 38b directly to the side members of the chair frame at points 44b, instead of to guide levers or members 42b so that the seat control links are not given a thrust movement by the guide members as in the earlier described constructions. As a matter of convenience, the points 44b also constitute the points at which the guide members 42b are pivoted to the chair frame, but coincidence of those points is not essential. I V

In this construction the linkage for actuating the leg rest 52 is substantially the same as that already described, except that the design of the linkage permits straight thrust links 76b to be used in place of angularly shaped links. In this construction the guide members 42b turn in a clockwise direction during movement of the back rest to inclined position.

Figures 7 and 8 show another modification of the invention in which the back rest 280 has arms or brackets 90 fixed to the bottom thereof, these arms projecting forwardly from the back rest, and being pivoted at 92 to short pull links 94, which are pivoted at 96 tothe ends of guide levers 98 pivoted at 100 to the'fra'me'. The other ends of the guide levers 98 are pivoted at 102 to push links 104 which are pivoted to guide members or is also substantially the same as in previously described forms; The seat is raised by seat control links 38, which are pivoted at points 40 to guide members 42d. In this construction the guide members 42d are similar to the guide members 42 shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that there are no upwardly projecting arms carrying pivot points 46. Instead there are pivot points 46d on the guide members intermediate the pivot points 44 where the guide members are pivoted to'th'e frame, the pivot points 48 where theguide members are pivoted t the thrust links 7 6'. In this instance the guide meriibei's 42d are rotated in a clockwise direction by the thrust of thrust links .120, which are pivoted 'at'122"to the lower arms of levers 124 pivoted at 126 to the side frames of the chair base. The upper arms of the levers 124 are pivoted at points 128 to the chair seat, the relationship of the pivot points 30, 36, 126 and 128 being such that the backward andforward movement of thechair seat will swing the levers 124 about their pivots so ate the mechanism. In this construction, therefore, the

leg rest mechanism is operated by linkage coiiii'ected to the seat rather than to the back rest.

It is understood that certain parts, h nisms shown in one figure may be substituted forjioiifesponding parts, elements or mechanisms of the embodiments shown in other figures of the drawings I have described preferred embodiments ofmy tion, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions or' changes in shape, proportion and rrgngeaiempr parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setfor th in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a reclining article of furniture having a stationary frame, a back rest pivoted near its lower end on the frame, a seat pivoted near its rear end to the back rest for movement about an axis substantially above the pivotal axis of the back rest on the frame so that the seat will move back as the back rest is tilted back, a leg rest, and a system of linkage for supporting and controlling the movements of the leg rest to raise and advance the leg rest forwardly when the back rest is tilted backwar'dly;

said system of linkage including sets of inter-related. links constituting a lazy tongs arrangement, one set'of links including a pair of links pivoted to eachother, one.

of said links being pivoted at its free end tov the leg 'rest levers 106 at points 108. The guide members 106 are pivoted to the frame at points 440. The seat 32 is mounted on seat control links 38, which 'are'pivoted at points 110 to the guide members 106. The guide members 106 have extension arms 112 which are pivotedat 114 to the thrust links 76c. The remaining linkage for supporting and projecting the leg rest 52 is similar to that already described. It will be noted that in this construction two sets of guide members pivoted to the frame, namely, 98 and 106, are employed instead of a single set of pivotedguide members, as in previously described forms of the invention. Members 98 move counterclockwise and member 106 clockwise when the back rest is inclined. I p 7 Figures 9 and 10 show another modification of the invention in which the back rest 28 is pivoted to the frame 20 at points 30, andthe seat 32 is pivoted to the back rest at point 36, as in forms of the invention previously de at a point removed from the edge thereof nearest to the front end of the seat, the other link of said. pair ,being pivoted to the seat 'ata point near the forward part thereof which is movable rearward andrupward as the. back rest is tilted back, the second set of lazy tongs links comprising a link pivoted'to the leg rest nearer .to the pivoted link and crossing the second link of the first pair of the chair and below the point at which said second link of the first'pair of links is pivoted to the seat when the seat is in normal upright sitting position, operative connections between the other end of said control link.

and said back rest, the second link of said second pair of links constituting the lazy tongs arrangement being pivoted at one end to the outer end of said second leg rest pivoted link and at its other end to an intermediate point of said control link, said second link of said first pair of:

links pivoted to the seat rotating about its pivot on said seat far enoughto move therpivot point between it and said control link forwardly and upwardly to alevel at elements inseng;-

least as high as the level reached by the pivot of said seat pivoted link to the seat as the back rest is tilted backwardly.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1, in which the second link of the first pair of lazy tongs links pivoted to the seat has a long arm at one side of its pivotal point which is the arm to which the leg rest connected links are pivoted and a short arm, to which the control link is pivoted.

3. In a reclining article of furniture having a stationary frame, body-supporting elements including a back rest and a seat swingably mounted on said frame, a leg rest and a system of linkage for supporting and controlling the movements of the leg rest to raise and advance the leg rest forwardly when the back rest is tilted backwardly, said system of linkage including sets of interrelated links constituting a lazy tongs arrangement, one set of links including a pair of links pivoted to each other, one of said links being pivoted at its free end to the leg rest at a point removed from the edge thereof nearest to the front end of the seat, the other link of said pair being pivoted to the seat at a point near the forward part thereof, the second link of said first pair of lazy tongs links is rapidly to the leg rest nearer to the edge thereof than the point at which the link of the first set of links is pivoted to the leg rest, said link being pivoted to the link of the first set of links, which is pivoted to the seat, one of said leg rest pivoted links being longer than the other and having a connecting link pivoted to its end, the other end of said connecting link being pivoted to an inter-mediate point on a control link, said control link comprising a thrust link extending upwardly and forwardly with respect to the stationary frame and chair seat, the upper end of said control link being pivoted to the second link of the first pair of lazy tongs links at a short distance below but nearer the front of the chair than the point at which said second link of said first pair of links is pivoted to the seat, when the seat is in normal upright sitting position, and operative connections between the other end of said control link and one of said swingable body-supporting elements of the article for projecting said control link upwardly and forwardly when the body supporting elements are moved toward reclining position, whereby said second link of said first pair of lazy tongs links is rapidly rotated about its pivot on the seat and the leg rest is quickly raised and advanced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,939,515 June 7, 1960 Fridtjof F; Schliephacke It is hereby certif-i of the above numbered pat Patent should read as corrected below.

ed that error appears in the printed specification ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Column 1, line 19, for "element" read elements line 62, for "shown in" read shown is column 3, line 69, for "member" read members column 5, line 23,

strike out "second link of said first pair of lazy tongs links is rapidly" and insert instead second set of lazy tongs links comprising a link pivoted Signed and sealed this 15th day of November 1960..

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H, AXLINE Attesting Ofl'icer ROBERT C. WATSGN Commissionefof Patents 

